Why does a loving God allow Christians and none Christians to suffer in pain and suffering, sometimes for decades and decades?

Mental anguish, pain and suffering
 is the common lot for the majority of mankind

‘Earthquake Claims 10,000 in India.’ ‘Thousands Perish in Bangladesh’s Flood.’

Tragedy is constantly in the news, including large-scale, ‘senseless’ disasters that snuff out the lives of thousands, such as the terrorist attacks on New York’s World Trade Centre. Nor is tragedy confined to today—it was not too long ago that an evil regime wiped out 6 million Jews and many others.

In addition to the headline events, each of us suffers pain at one time or another—illness, headaches, accidents and death. It is not surprising, when the burdens become too great, that people cry out to God in anguish, ‘Why don’t you do anything? Don’t you care?

Death and suffering is everywhere, and as that is the case, then how can how can an all-powerful, loving God allow suffering to continue. The bottom line is that multitudes and have rejected God because of suffering and as a result have more than likely found themselves suffering in eternal damnation at the end of their lives for having done so.

Charles Darwin rejected Christianity after the death of his daughter and then one would suppose came up with his theory of evolution. Famous media mogul Ted Turner lost his faith after his sister died.

After having injured my back as a young man, I have been in constant and regular pain for decades and decades, 38 years to be precise. At the time of the incident, I was working as a labourer in a railway siding loading soft drinks into railway trucks.

When it happened, I knew what the cause of the intense and severe pain to the lower back region was the result of - a slipped disc in the lower vertebrae.

However, that was only the start of my problems as I soon learnt there was not one GP who was willing, or able, to do anything about the predicament that I had found myself in.

After having visited so many over the years to be told all I had was mild arthritis, and that there was nothing at all that could be done. I was left completely despairing and in a state of bewilderment as there was nothing at all that I could think of to relieve the pain.

What that meant was that for decades and decades anytime that I did anything at all that was strenuous or involved the use of my back that result was that I suffered sometimes for days and days until my back started to return to normal.

The bottom line out of all of this is that there was nowhere that I could go to find a cure to this quite intense pain. That was until recently when I was talking over the fence to my next-door neighbour who told me that he also had been suffering with intense pain in the lower back region and that he had gone to a highly recommended chiropractor who had worked a miraculous cure returning his back to normal.

I followed that advice and after only having made one visit to the chiropractor managed to have the disc pushed back into place resulting with a 70% cure. Subsequent visits have only improved the situation further.

As a young man of just 18, I accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my saviour and deliverer and then just 4 years later I was inflicted by Satan with what was to become a lifetime of suffering and pain. However there was never ever a time over those forty years of what was at times sheer torment did I ever give up on the Lord, just as the Lord had never ever given up on me.

As that is the case, if there are those out there who may be in the same situation that I was in and are thinking of giving up on the Lord, DON'T DO IT, is my best advice, just hang on in there with the Lord and eventually he will see you through.

Those who put their trust in Christ as Saviour have a wonderful hope—they can spend eternity with the Lord in a place where there will be no more death.

‘And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away’ (Revelation 21:4).

Indeed, death is really the path that opens the way to this wonderful place, called Heaven. If we lived forever, we would never have an opportunity to shed this sinful state.

However, God wants us to have a new body, and He wants us to dwell with Him forever.

In fact, the Bible states that ‘precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints’ (Psalm 116:15). Death is ‘precious’ because sinners who have trusted Christ will enter into the presence of their Creator, in a place where righteousness dwells.

IT IS SATAN, NOT GOD, WHO INFLICTS PAIN AND SUFFERING ON THE CHRISTIAN, AND THE NONE CHRISTIAN ALIKE, SO THAT HE MAY DRIVE THE SUFFERER INTO ETERNAL DAMNATION. DO NOT LET HIM DO THAT TO YOU.

WHY I AM NOT A DISPENSATIONALIST; John Nelson Darby is recognized as the father of dispensationalism later made popular in the United States by Cyrus Scofield's Scofield Reference Bible. Charles Henry Mackintosh, 1820–1896, with his popular style spread Darby's teachings to humbler elements in society and may be regarded as the journalist of the Brethren Movement. CHM popularised Darby more than any other Brethren author. As there was no Christian teaching of a “rapture” before Darby began preaching about it in the 1830s, he is sometimes credited with originating the "secret rapture" theory wherein Christ will suddenly remove His bride, the Church, from this world before the judgments of the tribulation. Dispensationalist beliefs about the fate of the Jews and the re-establishment of the Kingdom of Israel put dispensationalists at the forefront of Christian Zionism, because "God is able to graft them in again," and they believe that in His grace he will do so according to their understanding of Old Testament prophecy. They believe that, while the methodologies of God may change, His purposes to bless Israel will never be forgotten, just as He has shown unmerited favour to the Church, He will do so to a remnant of Israel to fulfill all the promises made to the genetic seed of Abraham. I am not a dispensationalist; it is unbiblical.

Is the Antichrist rebuilding his nation even now???

A Middle East Beast -  who really knows at this stage?


Personally, I think not - as the word of God makes it quite clear the Antichrist takes control of a Revised Roman Empire.

However, that is not to say that others may have different views and that I am open to all ideas. Accordingly, readers may read the attached piece and then form their own views.
Nevertheless, that is still not to say that by republishing the attached article that I am in favour of, or am endorsing, any of the publications by author Joel Richardson.

Alternatively, that by doing so I am supporting his view that the Antichrist will rise out of the Middle East.

As that is the case, then all that I am supporting here is an alternative view -- and that is all at this stage unless there is other real and valid information that becomes known to the contrary. Now read on...

The rumblings stirred by record-setting new film in Turkey are triggering alarm bells with students of biblical prophecy, who warn the world system the Antichrist will use to rise to power is already on the march.

“Constantinople will surely be conquered one day. The commander who conquers it is a blessed commander. His soldiers are blessed soldiers” – thus opens the film “Fetih 1453.”

“Fetih” (meaning “conquest”) begins in 7th century Arabia with Muhammad, who is presented off camera lest pious Muslims be offended by his physical portrayal, declaring the quote above. The film tells the story of the conquest of the Christian East Roman Empire and its capital Constantinople by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmet II, thereafter known as Mehmet Fatih, or the Conqueror.

Director Faruk Aksoy’s film is the now the most watched and highest grossing movie in Turkish history, earning more than $60 million worldwide.

But Joel Richardson, author New York Times best-selling “The Islamic Antichrist: The Shocking Truth About the Real Nature of the Beast” and “Mideast Beast: The Scriptural Case for an Islamic Antichrist,” just released by WND Books, views the release of “Fetih 1453″ and the rise of Turkey as a world power as confirming biblical prophecy.

“In my book ‘Mideast Beast,’ I walk the reader through several key biblical texts that also point to a renewed Turkish power in the last days,” Richardson told WND. “As the Obama administration is openly getting behind the Islamist government in Turkey, numerous world events are all aligning with what the biblical prophets spoke. For those who take biblical prophecy seriously, awaiting the return of Jesus, the events now unfolding in Turkey and the region – the days in which we are now living – are absolutely profound.”

Christian prophecy teachers are reexamining previous dogma regarding the empire of the Antichrist. Until recently North American prophecy teachers almost exclusively held to the European Antichrist theory in part because they believed that the Antichrist would succeed the Roman Empire, which some said never really fell. Modern scholars of biblical prophecy suggest the prior theories were historically inaccurate and contend that the Roman Empire was in fact conquered and succeeded.

Richardson’s work has been instrumental in the reexamination of the geographic region where the Antichrist will arise. The historical parallels between the time period depicted in “Fetih 1453″ and now are worth considering, said Richardson.

Taking a hard look at the most significant biblical end-time texts, “Mideast Beast” argues persuasively that the Antichrist, his empire, and his religion will come from the Middle East and not Europe, as has been widely taught by many prophecy teachers.

“When Mehmet gathered his Muslim soldiers around Constantinople, he purposefully had imams walk through the camps of the soldiers reading the prophecy concerning the conquering of the city, empowering the soldiers with a deep sense of divine and prophetic destiny,” said Richardson. “It was in fact the alleged prophecies of Muhammad that were among the most motivating factors driving the attack.

“Likewise today, throughout the Islamic world, there is a radical renewed interest in the many Islamic prophecies. Among these are prophecies concerning the renewal of the Islamic Caliphate, the invasion of Israel, the establishment of the Caliphate specifically from the city of Jerusalem, the genocide of most Jews in the land and also the secondary conquering of Constantinople,” Richardson continued.

“Many Turks believe that the present Islamic takeover of Turkey by the AK Party is the actual fulfillment of this prophecy. Among the significant events that are leading many Muslims in the region to believe they are again living in a moment of prophetic fulfillment are the present ‘Arab Spring’ or ‘Islamic Awakening,’ as it is more commonly referred to as throughout the region, the rise of an assertive Islamist Turkey as a regional power.”

The release of “Fetih 1453″ comes at an interesting time. Turkey is now ruled by an elected Islamist government that celebrates its Ottoman religious and imperial past. It has even been praised by Turkish Prime Minister Erdoğan, notorious for his popularity among youth in the Middle East and his belligerent behavior toward the State of Israel in recent years.

“It is also important to note the fact that beyond the Islamists of Turkey, so also do many of the secularist nationalists desire to see a revival of regional Turkish power in the Middle East,” said Richardson. “The yearning for the glories of the Ottoman Empire are not limited to the Islamists alone.”

Whereas most students of the Bible have long held that some form of humanism or universalist religion would catapult the Antichrist to world power, “Mideast Beast” systematically proves that the long awaited system of the Antichrist is even now before us and knocking at our door – virtually unnoticed by the church.

“I am firmly convinced that Islam is the single greatest challenge the church will face before the return of Jesus, yet most are still either asleep or in denial,” Richardson states in “Mideast Beast.”

WHY I AM NOT A DISPENSATIONALIST; John Nelson Darby is recognized as the father of dispensationalism later made popular in the United States by Cyrus Scofield's Scofield Reference Bible. Charles Henry Mackintosh, 1820–1896, with his popular style spread Darby's teachings to humbler elements in society and may be regarded as the journalist of the Brethren Movement. CHM popularised Darby more than any other Brethren author. As there was no Christian teaching of a “rapture” before Darby began preaching about it in the 1830s, he is sometimes credited with originating the "secret rapture" theory wherein Christ will suddenly remove His bride, the Church, from this world before the judgments of the tribulation. Dispensationalist beliefs about the fate of the Jews and the re-establishment of the Kingdom of Israel put dispensationalists at the forefront of Christian Zionism, because "God is able to graft them in again," and they believe that in His grace he will do so according to their understanding of Old Testament prophecy. They believe that, while the methodologies of God may change, His purposes to bless Israel will never be forgotten, just as He has shown unmerited favour to the Church, He will do so to a remnant of Israel to fulfill all the promises made to the genetic seed of Abraham. I am not a dispensationalist; it is unbiblical.

An Iranian Video Declares the Arrival of the Islamic Messiah - the Mahdi - (the Antichrist) is near?

An Iranian video recently released with the full blessing of the Iranian regime is currently causing much excitement across the Middle East.

The video declares the time for the coming of the Islamic Messiah known as the Mahdi is almost upon us.

However, for those of us who hold fast to the one true and only word of God, the Holy Scriptures, the interpretation of that event is viewed in a completely different light.

Fundamentalist Born Again Christians see the arrival of the arrival of the Islamic Messiah, or the Mahdi, as being the arrival of the one the word of God calls the Antichrist, and that those two are actually one in the same individual.

WHY I AM NOT A DISPENSATIONALIST; John Nelson Darby is recognized as the father of dispensationalism later made popular in the United States by Cyrus Scofield's Scofield Reference Bible. Charles Henry Mackintosh, 1820–1896, with his popular style spread Darby's teachings to humbler elements in society and may be regarded as the journalist of the Brethren Movement. CHM popularised Darby more than any other Brethren author. As there was no Christian teaching of a “rapture” before Darby began preaching about it in the 1830s, he is sometimes credited with originating the "secret rapture" theory wherein Christ will suddenly remove His bride, the Church, from this world before the judgments of the tribulation. Dispensationalist beliefs about the fate of the Jews and the re-establishment of the Kingdom of Israel put dispensationalists at the forefront of Christian Zionism, because "God is able to graft them in again," and they believe that in His grace he will do so according to their understanding of Old Testament prophecy. They believe that, while the methodologies of God may change, His purposes to bless Israel will never be forgotten, just as He has shown unmerited favour to the Church, He will do so to a remnant of Israel to fulfill all the promises made to the genetic seed of Abraham. I am not a dispensationalist; it is unbiblical.

Fired teacher taking case to higher court

The US State of Ohio

John Whithead - the Rutherford Institute

By Bob Kellogg
One attorney says an Ohio science teacher, fired for asking his students to think critically about the theory of evolution, has every reason to take his case to the state Supreme Court.The Rutherford Institute is defending John Freshwater, who was suspended in 2008 and fired in 2010 from Mount Vernon Middle School for teaching alternative theories to evolution.

"In most schools … they teach [evolution] as a fact. It's not a fact; it's still a theory. There are different viewpoints by people all the way from Albert Einstein to Ben Stein, the comedian," notes Institute president John Whitehead. "So there [are] a lot of different opinions on it, but all this man was trying to do is get the kids to think it through, and obviously the school district did not want that."

Though the school board, a county judge and the Fifth Circuit have upheld the action taken against Freshwater, Whitehead is confident that the Ohio Supreme Court will hear the case.

"I think they will review it, and if this doesn't go well, the Ohio Supreme Court will talk to John Freshwater to see if he wants to go to the U.S. Supreme Court," the attorney predicts.Freshwater is arguing that his religious and academic freedoms were violated. He also asserts that he never mentioned creationism or intelligent design during his instructions. When the science teacher was suspended, students showed their support for him by carrying Bibles to class and wearing T-shirts with crosses.

WHY I AM NOT A DISPENSATIONALIST; John Nelson Darby is recognized as the father of dispensationalism later made popular in the United States by Cyrus Scofield's Scofield Reference Bible. Charles Henry Mackintosh, 1820–1896, with his popular style spread Darby's teachings to humbler elements in society and may be regarded as the journalist of the Brethren Movement. CHM popularised Darby more than any other Brethren author. As there was no Christian teaching of a “rapture” before Darby began preaching about it in the 1830s, he is sometimes credited with originating the "secret rapture" theory wherein Christ will suddenly remove His bride, the Church, from this world before the judgments of the tribulation. Dispensationalist beliefs about the fate of the Jews and the re-establishment of the Kingdom of Israel put dispensationalists at the forefront of Christian Zionism, because "God is able to graft them in again," and they believe that in His grace he will do so according to their understanding of Old Testament prophecy. They believe that, while the methodologies of God may change, His purposes to bless Israel will never be forgotten, just as He has shown unmerited favour to the Church, He will do so to a remnant of Israel to fulfill all the promises made to the genetic seed of Abraham. I am not a dispensationalist; it is unbiblical.

What are the possible ramifications for the recently discovered God Particle?

The Large Hadron Collider
The safety of particle collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) - the world's largest and most powerful particle accelerator - was a topic of widespread discussion and topical interest during the time when the LHC was being constructed and commissioned at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) near Geneva, in Switzerland.

Concerns arose that the high-energy experiments - designed to produce novel particles and forms of matter - had the potential to create harmful states of matter or even doomsday scenarios.

Claims escalated as commissioning of the LHC drew closer, around 2008 - 2010. The claimed dangers included the production of stable micro black holes and the creation of hypothetical particles called strangelets, and these questions were explored in the media, on the Internet and at times through the courts.

To address such concerns, CERN mandated a group of independent scientists to review these scenarios. In a report issued in 2003, they concluded that, like current particle experiments such as the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), the LHC particle collisions pose no conceivable threat.

A second review of the evidence commissioned by CERN was released in 2008. The report, prepared by a group of physicists affiliated to CERN but not involved in the LHC experiments, reaffirmed the safety of the LHC collisions in light of further research conducted since the 2003 assessment.

It was reviewed and endorsed by a CERN committee of 20 external scientists and by the Executive Committee of the Division of Particles & Fields of the American Physical Society, and was later published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Physics G by the UK Institute of Physics, which also endorsed its conclusions

The report ruled out any doomsday scenario at the LHC, noting that the physical conditions and events that will be created in the LHC experiments occur naturally and routinely in the universe without hazardous consequences. These include ultra-high-energy cosmic rays that are observed impacting Earth with energies considerably higher than those reached in any man-made collider.

The God Particle has been revealed
Now because of those experiments with the collider the news is now beginning to filter through that origins of the universe have been revealed and that the God particle does exist Scientists have confirmed the discovery of a new subatomic particle that is consistent with the long-sought-after Higgs boson.

'This goes beyond the origin of life. This is the origin of the universe.'
SCIENTISTS have taken a giant leap in their understanding of how the universe was formed, with a joint announcement in Geneva and Melbourne last night that a new particle has been discovered.

The discovery has significant implications, as physicists say it is consistent with the elusive Higgs boson, or ''God particle''.

In what will prove a milestone in the history of modern science, the revelation ends almost five decades of searching for the subatomic particle.

The search included constructing - for almost $10 billion - the Large Hadron Collider 100 metres below the Swiss-French border to conduct experiments in conditions similar to those just seconds after the big bang.

The preliminary results, delivered to applause and whoops of excitement in the two cities, come from two separate experiments undertaken this year at the Large Hadron Collider. They delivered satisfyingly similar results, making the new particle the heaviest boson discovered with a mass of about 125 GeV.

''This goes well beyond the origin of life, this is the origin of the universe,'' said Geoffrey Taylor, who leads Australia's research contribution to the organisation behind the Large Hadron Collider, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN).

The announcement was made on the eve of the International Conference on High Energy Physics beginning in Melbourne today.

Scientists packed the Melbourne Convention Centre last night for the announcement, with more than 800 physicists making the trip for the conference.

Until last night, the Higgs boson existed only in theory as the missing ingredient of the standard model of particle physics - a rulebook of how elementary particles and forces interact in the universe.

''What the results have shown tonight is that this is statistically highly significant. It has all the hallmarks of the standard model Higgs,'' Professor Taylor said.

The existence of a Higgs-like boson effectively verifies the all-encompassing 30-year-old theory on why particles have mass and how the universe works at the simplest level.

''We have reached a milestone in our understanding of nature,'' said CERN director-general Rolf Heuer, who will arrive in Melbourne for the conference tomorrow.

''The discovery of a particle consistent with the Higgs boson opens the way to more detailed studies, requiring larger statistics, which will pin down the new particle's properties.''

Asked if he would go as far as to say the new particle was a Higgs boson, Dr Heuer said: ''As a nonprofessional, I think we have it. But as a scientist I have to ask 'what do we have'? We have something. We have discovered a boson. Now we have to determine what kind of boson.''

Among the many hundreds at CERN's Geneva base for the announcement was the man whose name the elusive particle takes, retired British theoretical physicist Peter Higgs.

Now in his 80s, Professor Higgs congratulated the international team of researchers for their ''tremendous achievement'', saying, ''it is just an incredible thing that it happened in my lifetime''.

The unassuming Higgs could now be on his way to winning a Nobel Prize.

The preliminary results unveiled last night are from experiments run independently at two of the giant atom smasher's four detectors - ATLAS and CMS. Both have been working on the hunt for Higgs, which is difficult to track down, as it can't be seen. The unstable particle lives for only a tiny fraction of a second before decaying into other particles.

Yesterday's confirmation follows tantalising results released in December, which allowed physicists to narrow down the region in which they were searching for the Higgs boson.

Since then the sensitivity at the Large Hadron Collider has increased, while scientists have also refined their analysis techniques.

The volume of data available this year was also vastly greater.

According to CERN, there was more data delivered from experiments at the Large Hadron Collider between April and June this year than during the whole 2011 run.

Having identified the new Higgs-like particle, physicists now have the task of establishing its properties and characteristics and then measuring the results up against the predicted properties of Higgs boson.

It could yet be that the discovery is even more extraordinary - the new particle could turn out to be an even more exotic version that would be a profound discovery and create a revolution in physics.

Either way, last night's results have set science on a new path.

''This is really a very unusual object, an unusual field,'' Professor Taylor said.
''It raises us up to a more solid platform where we can start thinking about bigger questions.''

What is the Higgs boson particle?
The Higgs boson is an elementary particle within the Standard Model of particle physics. It belongs to a class of particles known as bosons. On 4 July 2012, CERN announced the formal confirmation that a particle "consistent with the Higgs boson" exists with a very high likelihood of 99.99995% ("five sigma"); however, scientists must still verify that it is indeed the expected boson and not some other new particle.

The name Higgs Boson is derived from the surname of the Indian physicist, Satyendra Nath Bose, a contemporary of the German physicist Albert Einstein and after the British physicist Peter Higgs. British physicist Peter Higgs who was one of six authors in the 1960s who wrote the ground-breaking papers covering what is now known as the Higgs mechanism and described the related Higgs Field and boson.

Technically, it is the quantum excitation of the Higgs field, and the non-zero value of the ground state of this field gives mass to the other elementary particles such as quarks and electrons through the Higgs mechanism.

The Standard Model completely fixes the properties of the Higgs boson, except for its mass. It is expected to have no spin and no electric or colour charge, and it interacts with other particles through the weak interaction and Yukawa-type interactions between the various fermions and the Higgs field.

Because the Higgs boson is a very massive particle and also decays almost immediately when created, only a very high energy particle accelerator can observe and record it. Experiments to confirm and determine the nature of the Higgs boson using the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN began in early 2010, and were performed at Fermilab's Tevatron until its closure in late 2011.

Mathematical consistency of the Standard Model requires that any mechanism capable of generating the masses of elementary particles become visible at energies above 1.4 TeV;[4] therefore, the LHC (designed to collide two 7 to 8 TeV proton beams) was built to answer the question of whether or not the Higgs boson actually exists.

On 4 July 2012, the two main experiments at the LHC (ATLAS and CMS) both reported independently that they found a new particle with a mass of about 125 GeV/c2 (about 133 proton masses, on the order of 10-25 kg), which is "consistent with the Higgs boson".

They acknowledged that further work would be needed to conclude that it is indeed the Higgs Boson that it has the theoretically predicted properties of the Higgs boson, and exactly which version of the Standard Model it best supported if confirmed.

What now are the possible uses for this newfound information?
There was a point that the late and great Barry R Smith once made that has stayed with me ever since he made the announcement in one of his meetings that there was never ever going to be the possibility of a nuclear war, because as he had said, there was no actual trigger to fire a nuclear weapon.

What that means is that even though the weapon could be fired there was no possibility of an ignition in the warhead because the sun had to be in a certain position to ignite the neutrons in the warhead. Accordingly, there could never ever be a nuclear war simply because even though a nuclear weapon could be launched it could never ever really be exploded and because of that fact, the nuclear weapon was more or less harmless.

However, with this new and latest discovery all of the Higgs boson particle all of this may have changed and scientists may have discovered a way to ignite those neutrons in the warhead of a nuclear weapon. What that also means is that in the hands of the Antichrist this new and latest discovery is going to turn the world upside down, as he sets out to follow the will of his master, Satan by unleashing a nuclear configuration yet unimaginable, just as the word of God said would be the instance in these last days.

WHY I AM NOT A DISPENSATIONALIST; John Nelson Darby is recognized as the father of dispensationalism later made popular in the United States by Cyrus Scofield's Scofield Reference Bible. Charles Henry Mackintosh, 1820–1896, with his popular style spread Darby's teachings to humbler elements in society and may be regarded as the journalist of the Brethren Movement. CHM popularised Darby more than any other Brethren author. As there was no Christian teaching of a “rapture” before Darby began preaching about it in the 1830s, he is sometimes credited with originating the "secret rapture" theory wherein Christ will suddenly remove His bride, the Church, from this world before the judgments of the tribulation. Dispensationalist beliefs about the fate of the Jews and the re-establishment of the Kingdom of Israel put dispensationalists at the forefront of Christian Zionism, because "God is able to graft them in again," and they believe that in His grace he will do so according to their understanding of Old Testament prophecy. They believe that, while the methodologies of God may change, His purposes to bless Israel will never be forgotten, just as He has shown unmerited favour to the Church, He will do so to a remnant of Israel to fulfill all the promises made to the genetic seed of Abraham. I am not a dispensationalist; it is unbiblical.

According to this Jewish writer, Iran is preparing itself for War with its 'Regional' Enemies, meaning Israel

Here is more of the same type of propaganda from the Christian Zionists that we have become so used to the past. The article below has been clearly designed specifically to incite hatred against Iran! If there were ever a group that is causing more problems in the Middle East it is that group mentioned above. Just coincidentally, Russia and the US/Israel have also been conducting similar exercises (see the postings below) and as that is the case then what is Iran supposed to do, just sit back and wait to be attacked without making any form of preparation whatsoever? Also note: the assertions the writer of the attached posting has made are really nothing much more than pure conjecture. The facts of the matter are that there has never been a time when Iran has attacked Israel. Accordingly, anything the leadership of Iran has to say with regards to attacking Israel is nothing much more than sheer bluster and need not be taken seriously.

Iran readies for war with Regional Enemies

By Ryan Jones
Israel Today

Iran this week conducted a series of test launches of domestically-produced medium- and long-range ballistic missiles. Iranian officials said the tests targeted replications of "trans-regional powers."

Iran's more advanced homegrown missiles are capable of hitting most parts of Israel, and it was at first assumed that the Jewish state was the target of the exercise.

GREAT PROPHET 7
But Revolutionary Guards General Amir Ali Hajizadeh revealed that the exercise was intended as a warning to both Israel and American forces in the region. Iran's Fars news agency reported that the dummy target bases were modeled after American bases in the Middle East, while Hajizadeh said the exercise clearly demonstrated that any Israeli military action against Iran's nuclear facilities would result in a catastrophic response.

"If they (Israel) take any action, they will hand us an excuse to wipe them off the face of the earth," Hajizadeh was quoted as saying by Iran's IRNA news agency.

The general added that the target bases were modeled on American bases as a deterrent to US forces getting involved should Israel decided to strike Iran.

It is also worth noting that the missile exercise was dubbed "Great Prophet 7," a clear Islamic religious reference. While Western diplomats insist that ultimately Iran will behave pragmatically and not try to annihilate Israel, those more familiar with the region note that Iran's real rulers, the ayatollahs, make their decisions based primarily on radical religious beliefs and tenets, not pragmatism. They view the destruction of Israel as a religious duty and prophetic necessity.

WHY I AM NOT A DISPENSATIONALIST; John Nelson Darby is recognized as the father of dispensationalism later made popular in the United States by Cyrus Scofield's Scofield Reference Bible. Charles Henry Mackintosh, 1820–1896, with his popular style spread Darby's teachings to humbler elements in society and may be regarded as the journalist of the Brethren Movement. CHM popularised Darby more than any other Brethren author. As there was no Christian teaching of a “rapture” before Darby began preaching about it in the 1830s, he is sometimes credited with originating the "secret rapture" theory wherein Christ will suddenly remove His bride, the Church, from this world before the judgments of the tribulation. Dispensationalist beliefs about the fate of the Jews and the re-establishment of the Kingdom of Israel put dispensationalists at the forefront of Christian Zionism, because "God is able to graft them in again," and they believe that in His grace he will do so according to their understanding of Old Testament prophecy. They believe that, while the methodologies of God may change, His purposes to bless Israel will never be forgotten, just as He has shown unmerited favour to the Church, He will do so to a remnant of Israel to fulfill all the promises made to the genetic seed of Abraham. I am not a dispensationalist; it is unbiblical.

News from Israel - David Hoyle

It is a tragedy that as the whole panoply of Biblical prophecy spreads out before us in the last days and is increasingly fulfilled in an accelerating way even many Christians seem unable to relate what is happening to their Bibles.

Tragically the Bible is not taken literally and thus there is little understanding of the lateness of the hour.

Without an understanding of God’s word how can we possibly interpret what is happening in the Arab world? Whilst we cannot fill in all the details we can at least see that the scriptures have much to say about these nations in the last days.

Egypt is a case in point. Israel is taking some comfort in the Egyptian military ruler’s decision to rewrite the country’s constitution, a move that will strip much of the power of the Egyptian presidency. This decision tends to confirm the view of many sceptics that the deposing of Hosni Mubarak was more a military coup than a revolution! It was the Egyptian army that played a key roll in the uprising, siding with the people against the regime. It was again the army who intervened in the middle of a presidential election this week an election that would have delivered control to the Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohammed Morsi. The military dissolved parliament and declared one third of its MPs were elected illegally.

The crux of this is that with the likelihood of a Muslim Brotherhood president the military were not prepared to accept a democratically elected government with the existing presidential powers and thus stripped the incoming president of much of his authority. Their fears are now realised as Mohammed Morsi, the Brotherhood candidate, has been declared the winner!

Israel was struck by dozens of rockets last Friday and Israeli sources said this was at the incitement of the Brotherhood.

Ever since the end of the Mubarak era there have been threats against Israel; to tear up the peace treaty, cancel gas contracts (the pipeline has been blown up 14 times since the revolution), there have also been cross-border attacks and the Sinai has been used as a staging ground for terrorism.

It’s not yet clear whether the military have fended off the Muslim Brotherhood or whether the Brotherhood will challenge the army.

One worry is that if Egypt opened its border with Gaza Hamas would be able to get hold of state-of-the art weaponry!

Thus Israel takes comfort in the partial military takeover if it reins in the Muslims, but this is an unfolding situation. Watch this space and read Isaiah 19 and Isaiah 27v12-13 with Psalm 83.

Needless to say the Brotherhood victory has been warmly welcomed by President Obama and William Hague – par for the course!

Syria The fulfilment of Isaiah 17v1-3 could happen at any moment. There seems no end to the problems there and the increasing involvement of the Russians who have sent elite paratroopers to the area is a serious threat. They purport to be there to defend the Russian technicians who are at present in Tartus, now a significant Russian naval base, but their presence may be more sinister. Are they there to discourage NATO involvement? A ship carrying attack helicopters has returned to Russia from Scottish waters after protests but Russia has announced it will dock at Murmansk and be reflagged before sailing to Syria.

What will happen if NATO does send troops?

Russia, Turkey, Iran and Libya Could this presage Ezekiel Chapters 38/39? Russia, Turkey, Iran and Libya are all mentioned here and a study of all the ancient names in these chapters in relation to their current territories is illuminating. The only conclusion from a study of these two chapters is that the battle described will take place at the beginning of the tribulation; hence the rapture of the church must be imminent if these future events are casting their shadow before.

Saudi Arabia Is becoming heavily involved in Syria, supplying arms to the rebels via Turkey and a study of Isaiah 21v13-17 may be relevant.

Iraq Babylon has been rebuilt by Sadam Hussein but is now reported to be being used by America as a huge communications centre from where it is possible to direct America’s Middle East activities and more importantly control oil! The writer was invited to visit there just prior to the Gulf war but was glad he declined as many visitors were captured for use as human shields! Read Jeremiah 50v35 & 39 but note Revelation 18v2-5 remembering that Northern Iraq, which was part of Assyria has a very different future. Isaiah 19v24-25.

Lebanon The Syrian problems have spilled into Lebanon but it is interesting to consider Zechariah 10v9-10 and also note that Israel will one day have all the land from ‘the river of Egypt to the Euphrates’ Genesis 15v18.

Be good Bereans, study your Bible, one day all these things will be clear in the light of revelation. We fill in too much detail of the overall prophetic map at our peril!

Sudan Israel has a serious problem with refugees who have slipped over its southern border with Egypt. 60,000 from Sudan and Eritrea have currently entered Israel. Some are now returning home after being threatened with arrest. Israel has produced a voluntary resettlement form and those who sign are returned to their countries with a resettlement grant of 1,000 Euros. The burden on the economy caused by the influx is causing alarm and is threatening Israel’s Jewish character.

Germany Only three members of the German football team agreed to visit Auschwitz recently. Their manager described the visit as a ‘fireside talk’! The German word he used ‘Kemin’ can also mean chimney and thus the term suggested the burning of Jews! The German captain said the whole team should have been present. The head of Germany’s Central Council for Jews said the visit was a ‘mockery of the holocaust’!

Gaza President Abbas said ‘The peace process is clinically dead’. Saab Erekat the Palestinian Chief Negotiator is currently in Washington seeking to revive the peace process.

50 rockets struck Israel from Gaza this week, Israel hit back with air strikes. Not surprisingly both BBC and Sky TV mentioned the air strikes but not he rockets! No wonder there is anti Semitism.

Scotland The Church of Scotland continues its hate campaign against Israel. It was asked by a delegate to its assembly to reverse its one sided approach to Israeli and Palestinian perspectives. Rev. Ian Galloway said, ‘There can never be a balanced view between Israel and Palestine’. The Assembly voted overwhelmingly that they were balanced! Anti Semitism is alive and well in the Church of Scotland and we now know that they will not even make pretence of balance. They are blinded by unchristian prejudice.

Settlements Israel has turned a deaf ear to condemnation of settlement building, notably 851 new buildings in existing west Bank settlements. The UN view is that all Judea and Samaria is occupied territory. What else would one expect from this biased organisation controlled by Islamic votes?

There is still time to book on our Israel tour in October. Send today for a brochure. Telephone: David Hoyle 01423 881803

WHY I AM NOT A DISPENSATIONALIST; John Nelson Darby is recognized as the father of dispensationalism later made popular in the United States by Cyrus Scofield's Scofield Reference Bible. Charles Henry Mackintosh, 1820–1896, with his popular style spread Darby's teachings to humbler elements in society and may be regarded as the journalist of the Brethren Movement. CHM popularised Darby more than any other Brethren author. As there was no Christian teaching of a “rapture” before Darby began preaching about it in the 1830s, he is sometimes credited with originating the "secret rapture" theory wherein Christ will suddenly remove His bride, the Church, from this world before the judgments of the tribulation. Dispensationalist beliefs about the fate of the Jews and the re-establishment of the Kingdom of Israel put dispensationalists at the forefront of Christian Zionism, because "God is able to graft them in again," and they believe that in His grace he will do so according to their understanding of Old Testament prophecy. They believe that, while the methodologies of God may change, His purposes to bless Israel will never be forgotten, just as He has shown unmerited favour to the Church, He will do so to a remnant of Israel to fulfill all the promises made to the genetic seed of Abraham. I am not a dispensationalist; it is unbiblical.

GROWING EARTHQUAKE ACTIVITY SHAKES CANARY ISLANDS

Spanish scientists have mapped the seabed; this digital terrain model shows the emerging underwater volcano. 

CANARY ISLANDS - Following days of almost continual earthquakes, residents of the small Canary island of El Hierro are once again living in fear of a volcanic eruption as their island begins to lift.

According to the National Geographic Institute of Spain, increases in seismic activity on the island has seen literally hundreds of earthquakes, known as a swarm, shaking the island and gradually increasing in strength since June 25.

Around 750 earthquakes have been recorded although few have been strong enough to be felt by the residents until the last two days. The island has been placed on yellow alert by the security committee in charge of operations as the earthquakes increase.

The largest so far was registered at 4.0 on the Richter scale on Wednesday June 27. More frightening for the approximately 10,000 residents is the fact that a bulge has developed in the island, lifting it five centimeters in four days.

Whereas the volcanic activity of 2011 was based out at sea, this time the magma appears to be forming right underneath the island and the pressure is building.

Scientists on the island are using the position of the earthquake epicenters to try and work out where the magma from the volcano will come to the surface.

The longer it takes to find a vent, the more the pressure from the magma will grow and the larger any possible eruption is likely to be. Earthquake Report says that PEVOLCA (Civil Protection from Volcanic Risk) has said that there is acceleration in the flow of magma, with a “clear process of inflation.” –Digital Journal

WHY I AM NOT A DISPENSATIONALIST; John Nelson Darby is recognized as the father of dispensationalism later made popular in the United States by Cyrus Scofield's Scofield Reference Bible. Charles Henry Mackintosh, 1820–1896, with his popular style spread Darby's teachings to humbler elements in society and may be regarded as the journalist of the Brethren Movement. CHM popularised Darby more than any other Brethren author. As there was no Christian teaching of a “rapture” before Darby began preaching about it in the 1830s, he is sometimes credited with originating the "secret rapture" theory wherein Christ will suddenly remove His bride, the Church, from this world before the judgments of the tribulation. Dispensationalist beliefs about the fate of the Jews and the re-establishment of the Kingdom of Israel put dispensationalists at the forefront of Christian Zionism, because "God is able to graft them in again," and they believe that in His grace he will do so according to their understanding of Old Testament prophecy. They believe that, while the methodologies of God may change, His purposes to bless Israel will never be forgotten, just as He has shown unmerited favour to the Church, He will do so to a remnant of Israel to fulfill all the promises made to the genetic seed of Abraham. I am not a dispensationalist; it is unbiblical.

Israel, US joint military drill set for autumn

Missile defense exercise had been planned for April

IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz, right, at a welcoming ceremony for his visiting US counterpart Martin Dempsey, at a military base in Tel Aviv on January 20.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The top U.S. military officer says the U.S. and Israel will hold a major missile defense exercise in October.

The exercise Austere Challenge ’12 was scheduled originally for April but was postponed amid growing talk of Israel preparing to attack Iran over its nuclear program. The odds of an Israeli attack in the near term appear to have lessened.

Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Army Gen. Martin Dempsey told reporters at the Pentagon on Friday that he is unfamiliar with exact details but that the postponed exercise is expected to take place in October.

The exercise is designed to test multiple Israeli and U.S. air defense systems against incoming missiles and rockets from places as far away as Iran.

News of the drill comes amid ongoing violence in Syria, and with Israel and the US closely discussing the means to thwart Iran’s nuclear drive. The commander of the 3rd Air Force, Lt.-Gen.Craig A. Franklin, on a recent visit to Israel, established a planning committee with representatives of the IDF to coordinate the details of the exercise. Some 3,000 US soldiers are to participate, alongside thousands of Israeli troops.

The drill will simulate missiles being fired at Israel from Iran and Syria simultaneously, with potentially tens, if not hundreds, of rockets mid-air at the same time. Israel will test its upgraded Arrow 2 defense system, while the US will deploy the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System and PAC-3 Patriot air defense platforms.

According to Maariv, some military analysts have nicknamed the exercise a “dress rehearsal” for a potential military conflict, noting that it will send a clear message to Iran at a time during which the impact of international sanctions, or lack thereof, will be clearer.

The drill’s announcement comes shortly after talks between world powers and Iran regarding Tehran’s nuclear program broke up without progress in Moscow.

WHY I AM NOT A DISPENSATIONALIST; John Nelson Darby is recognized as the father of dispensationalism later made popular in the United States by Cyrus Scofield's Scofield Reference Bible. Charles Henry Mackintosh, 1820–1896, with his popular style spread Darby's teachings to humbler elements in society and may be regarded as the journalist of the Brethren Movement. CHM popularised Darby more than any other Brethren author. As there was no Christian teaching of a “rapture” before Darby began preaching about it in the 1830s, he is sometimes credited with originating the "secret rapture" theory wherein Christ will suddenly remove His bride, the Church, from this world before the judgments of the tribulation. Dispensationalist beliefs about the fate of the Jews and the re-establishment of the Kingdom of Israel put dispensationalists at the forefront of Christian Zionism, because "God is able to graft them in again," and they believe that in His grace he will do so according to their understanding of Old Testament prophecy. They believe that, while the methodologies of God may change, His purposes to bless Israel will never be forgotten, just as He has shown unmerited favour to the Church, He will do so to a remnant of Israel to fulfill all the promises made to the genetic seed of Abraham. I am not a dispensationalist; it is unbiblical.

Russian Military is to Hold Over 1,000 Drills in June-October

MOSCOW, June 1 (RIA Novosti)

The Russian Armed Forces will conduct over 1,000 command-and-staff and tactical exercises during the summer training period from June to November this year, the Defense Ministry said.

The summer training will focus on improving interoperability of all branches of the Armed Forces and efficient use of automated battlefield management systems, the ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

The training will be carried out on average 2-3 times a week with the emphasis on weapons proficiency and driving skills.

The training period will culminate with the Kavkaz-2012 large-scale strategic exercises in southern Russia and North Caucasus, which would also involve Abkhaz and South Ossetian military units.

In addition, Russia will hold about 50 joint military exercises with foreign countries, including the Slavic Commonwealth – 2012 with Ukraine and Belarus, the INDRA-2012 with India and the Selenga with Mongolia.

The Russian Navy will traditionally take part in RIMPAC, FRUKUS, Northern Eagle and Blacksea for international naval drills.

WHY I AM NOT A DISPENSATIONALIST; John Nelson Darby is recognized as the father of dispensationalism later made popular in the United States by Cyrus Scofield's Scofield Reference Bible. Charles Henry Mackintosh, 1820–1896, with his popular style spread Darby's teachings to humbler elements in society and may be regarded as the journalist of the Brethren Movement. CHM popularised Darby more than any other Brethren author. As there was no Christian teaching of a “rapture” before Darby began preaching about it in the 1830s, he is sometimes credited with originating the "secret rapture" theory wherein Christ will suddenly remove His bride, the Church, from this world before the judgments of the tribulation. Dispensationalist beliefs about the fate of the Jews and the re-establishment of the Kingdom of Israel put dispensationalists at the forefront of Christian Zionism, because "God is able to graft them in again," and they believe that in His grace he will do so according to their understanding of Old Testament prophecy. They believe that, while the methodologies of God may change, His purposes to bless Israel will never be forgotten, just as He has shown unmerited favour to the Church, He will do so to a remnant of Israel to fulfill all the promises made to the genetic seed of Abraham. I am not a dispensationalist; it is unbiblical.

The "attack of the Killer 'C's" -- the Casual Christian, Cultural Christian, Compromising Christian, Corruptive Christian, Counterfeit Christian - Pastor Billy Crone.

The "attack of the Killer 'C's 1- 5

In today's society, these types of "Christians" are literally opening the door to Antichrist.

This disaster is of such magnitude that it makes the Titanic look like "chump change"!

The cosmic battle in which we are engaged and exposes the seductive weapons Satan uses to keep us from being the mighty army of God. We are under attack!

Rise up, oh men of God, to battle for the millions of souls deceived and in risk of Hell.

WHY I AM NOT A DISPENSATIONALIST; John Nelson Darby is recognized as the father of dispensationalism later made popular in the United States by Cyrus Scofield's Scofield Reference Bible. Charles Henry Mackintosh, 1820–1896, with his popular style spread Darby's teachings to humbler elements in society and may be regarded as the journalist of the Brethren Movement. CHM popularised Darby more than any other Brethren author. As there was no Christian teaching of a “rapture” before Darby began preaching about it in the 1830s, he is sometimes credited with originating the "secret rapture" theory wherein Christ will suddenly remove His bride, the Church, from this world before the judgments of the tribulation. Dispensationalist beliefs about the fate of the Jews and the re-establishment of the Kingdom of Israel put dispensationalists at the forefront of Christian Zionism, because "God is able to graft them in again," and they believe that in His grace he will do so according to their understanding of Old Testament prophecy. They believe that, while the methodologies of God may change, His purposes to bless Israel will never be forgotten, just as He has shown unmerited favour to the Church, He will do so to a remnant of Israel to fulfill all the promises made to the genetic seed of Abraham. I am not a dispensationalist; it is unbiblical.

Egypt's new leader Mohamed Morsy vows to bring unity and peace

Mohamed Morsy of the Muslim Brotherhood sets about building a civilian administration for Egypt on Monday that can heal a divisive history of oppression and coax a mistrustful army into relaxing its grip on power.

Behind the scenes, talks were already under way between the Islamists and generals to resolve disputes that blew up this month over steps by the ruling military council to hem in the powers of the first freely elected president Egypt has known.

Cairo's Tahrir Square, theatre of the revolution that ousted Hosni Mubarak, exploded in joy - and relief - on Sunday as Morsy was declared the narrow but convincing winner of last weekend's presidential run-off against Ahmed Shafik, another scion of the military establishment that has ruled Egypt for 60 years.

The celebrations continued through an unforgettable night after Morsy won by 3.5 percentage points or some 880,000 votes.

Those in Egypt and beyond who feared a win for Shafik might have spelled the end of the Arab Spring acknowledged a triumph for the popular will, and for the army that accepted it. From Syria's opposition came word that Cairo was again a "source of hope" for a people "facing a repressive war of annihilation."

However, beyond the vast throng who waved their flags and chanted praises to God for hours on end on Tahrir Square, millions of Egyptians, and the Western powers, looked on with unease at the prospect of the long-suppressed Brotherhood making good on its dream of an Islamic state for the Arab world's biggest nation.

Among the most anxious were the young, urban revolutionaries who launched last year's uprising but saw their representatives knocked out in last month's first round vote, as well as diehard supporters of the old regime who fear for their privileges. Some Shafik admirers wept in fury that the army had "betrayed" them.

CONCILIATORY TALK
Morsy, a 60-year-old engineer who studied in California and was jailed for his politics by Mubarak's secret police, took his first steps in public to quell some fears: "I am today a president for all Egyptians," he said in an address after what he called "this historic moment, this luminous moment."

He repeated his respect for international treaties - a gesture to Israel, which has fretted about its 1979 peace deal, and to Egypt's army, whose big US subsidy depends on it.

Barack Obama called him. "The president underscored that the United States will continue to support Egypt's transition to democracy and stand by the Egyptian people as they fulfill the promise of their revolution," the White House said.

The bearded Morsy, smiling occasionally, echoed that in his televised speech, saying he would work with others to see the democratic revolution through: "There is no room now for the language of confrontation," he said.

Morsy, an obscure party official before being catapulted to prominence by the disqualification of the movement's preferred candidate, has little choice but to compromise, and sources in the Brotherhood said a package of agreements, already discussed with senior generals last week, could soon be announced.

At daggers drawn for most of Egypt's modern history, the Brotherhood, an international model for many Islamist parties, and the army were drawn into a wary symbiosis once the military council pushed out Mubarak to appease the protesters and found in its long-banned enemy the most organized political force.

The Brotherhood, conscious of playing a long game, was ready to play its part in a transition. But cooperation frayed when the Islamists made a push for more control. They secured the lion's share in a parliament elected in January and, with the influence that offered over drafting a constitution, plus the presidency, would have been very much in the driving seat.

That was clearly too much for Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi and his Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. With the help of a Mubarak-era judiciary, SCAF dissolved parliament on the eve of the presidential election and then gave itself the legislative power, adding also a potential role in forming a panel to write the constitution. It also revived some powers for martial law.

Critics at home and in the West called it a "soft coup."

NEGOTIATIONS
Senior Brotherhood officials say they have been negotiating in the past week to change some of that. Though both sides deny that any deal was struck over the result of the presidential vote itself, Morsy's election now sets a key reference point around which a power-sharing compromise can be built while the process of constructing a constitutional democracy goes on.

"President Morsy and his team have been in talks with the military council to bring back the democratically elected parliament and other issues," Essam Haddad, a senior Brotherhood official, told Reuters on Monday.

Brotherhood sources told Reuters they hoped the army might allow a partial recall of parliament and other concessions in return for Morsy exercising his powers to name a government and presidential administration in ways the army approves of - notably by extending appointments across the political spectrum.

Military officials have confirmed discussions in the past few days but had no immediate comment on the latest talks.

The Brotherhood has, movement officials said, approached secular reformist politician Mohamed ElBaradei, a former UN diplomat and Nobel peace laureate, to take a senior post, possibly as prime minister. ElBaradei has not commented.

Brotherhood officials have said they will press on with street protests to pressure the army but this, along with a number of other contentious issues including to whom and where Morsy swears his oath of office, could be settled soon.

The army wants Morsy sworn in on June 30, meeting a deadline it set itself for handing over Egypt to "civilian rule."

"Nobody should doubt there is going to be deal-making," said analyst Shadi Hamid, director of the Brookings Doha Centre. "The (SCAF) still has the tanks and guns and the Brotherhood still understands that. There has to be some temporary power-sharing agreement. There has to be give and take."

RELIGIOUS IDEALS
Morsy, who evaded questions during his campaign on such fraught issues as dress codes on Egypt's profitable tourist beaches, peppered his address with religious language as he spoke from a lectern blazoned with the presidential seal - a jarring mix of sights and sounds for the vast majority Egypt's 82 million people who can remember no president but Mubarak.

He has promised a moderate "Islamic renaissance" for an Egypt mired in economic crisis. Supporters cite the example of Turkey, where the party now led by Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan slowly eroded the army's resistance to pious politicians and the Muslim country has emerged as a political and economic force.

But Morsy, and the party grandees behind him, are aware that without cooperation from both the army, and the wider "deep state" of business and institutional vested interests built up under military rule, the Brotherhood risks accepting a poisoned chalice, enjoying the outward trappings of power but taking all the blame when life does not improve as fast as people hope.

Describing the election as "a true example of democracy to the world" a military council source said the pressure was on Morsy: "The onus now is on the new president to unite the nation and create a true coalition of political and revolutionary forces to rebuild the country economically and politically.

"The world is now watching the new president."

WESTERN CONCERNS
Calling it a "milestone in their transition to democracy," the United States, the army's key sponsor and also long wary of the rise of political Islam, joined other Western powers in congratulating Morsy and calling on him to form a government of national unity that would respect all Egyptians' civil rights, notably those of women and the 10-percent Christian minority.

The White House said: "It is important for President-elect Morsy to take steps at this historic time to advance national unity by reaching out to all parties and constituencies in consultations about the formation of a new government."

The British and French governments echoed that sentiment.

Israel is at war with the Brotherhood's Palestinian offshoot Hamas, which celebrated Morsy's win in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he "respected" the result and expected to continue cooperation under the peace treaty.

Half of those who voted in last month's first round of the election backed neither Morsy nor Shafik and many who voted in the run-off voted negatively - either against Morsy's religious agenda or against Shafik as a symbol of military rule.

"We voted for Morsy reluctantly to prevent Shafik from getting in because if he were president, we would all be hanged," said Mohamed Abdel Latif, 28, a youth activist in the second city of Alexandria. "From today, we will oppose Morsy.

"The Brotherhood must remember that they won because of us and they shouldn't repeat the mistakes of the past."

Shafik, a former air force commander and Mubarak's last prime minister, offered his congratulations and said he was willing to serve in Morsy's administration if asked.

He had the support of many Christians, who reacted gloomily to his defeat. Ehab Aziz of the Coptic American Friendship League said they were worried they would face special taxes, as some interpretations of Islamic law suggest for non-believers.

Joe Fahim, 29, a Christian in Cairo, said he was personally uncertain but added: "For most Copts though, it's doomsday."

WHY I AM NOT A DISPENSATIONALIST; John Nelson Darby is recognized as the father of dispensationalism later made popular in the United States by Cyrus Scofield's Scofield Reference Bible. Charles Henry Mackintosh, 1820–1896, with his popular style spread Darby's teachings to humbler elements in society and may be regarded as the journalist of the Brethren Movement. CHM popularised Darby more than any other Brethren author. As there was no Christian teaching of a “rapture” before Darby began preaching about it in the 1830s, he is sometimes credited with originating the "secret rapture" theory wherein Christ will suddenly remove His bride, the Church, from this world before the judgments of the tribulation. Dispensationalist beliefs about the fate of the Jews and the re-establishment of the Kingdom of Israel put dispensationalists at the forefront of Christian Zionism, because "God is able to graft them in again," and they believe that in His grace he will do so according to their understanding of Old Testament prophecy. They believe that, while the methodologies of God may change, His purposes to bless Israel will never be forgotten, just as He has shown unmerited favour to the Church, He will do so to a remnant of Israel to fulfill all the promises made to the genetic seed of Abraham. I am not a dispensationalist; it is unbiblical.